Mo Ghile Mear
[ca. 1740]
Lyrics by Seán Clárach MacDomhnaill
Testo di Seán Clárach MacDomhnaill
Music: to an Irish traditional tune
Musica: su un motivo tradizionale irlandese
Mary Black
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDlCM_Mwtys
Sting & The Chieftains
UCD Choral Scholars
The Highland Session
Irish-Gaelic lyrics, rough phonetic. rough traslation
http://www.celticartscenter.com/Songs/Irish/MoGhileMear.html
About the author
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Se%C3%A1n_Cl%C3%A1rach_Mac_Domhnaill#Works
The worn-out widow of the song is Ireland, and her Ghile Mear, "Gallant Darling," is "Bonnie" Prince Charles Stuart. In the Irish Gaelteacht this song is often sung at closing time in the pubs, when the bar steward is trying to clear the room, to sort of squeeze a few more convivial minutes out of the evening.
Mo Ghile Mear
(My Gallant Darling)
This song is an Irish homage to the "Great Pretender", Bonnie Prince Charlie, the descendant of Mary Stewart, Queen of Scots who had ambitions to the throne of Britian. His loyal followers of the Jacobite movement fought for him to take possession of the crown and to put an end to religious persecution in Scotland, occupied Ireland, Wales, and England. The rebellion was put down, hundreds of thousands died in battle under unsurmountable odds, and the prince fled to the Continent under secrecy and died in exile. This song was written by Seán Clárach Mac Dhomhnaill (c. 1691-1757). Lyrics, phonetics, and translations were taken from printouts graciously produced by Tim Martin and personal transcription.
[Irish-Gaelic]
[1 agus Curfa]
Sé mo laoch mo Ghile Mear
‘Sé mo Chaesar, Ghile Mear,
Suan ná séan ní bhfuaireas féin
Ó chuaigh i gcéin mo Ghile Mear.
[2]
Seal da rabhas im’ mhaighdean shéimh,
‘S anois im’ bhaintreach chaite thréith,
Mo chéile ag treabhadh na dtonn go tréan
De bharr na gcnoc is imigéin.
Curfa
[3]
Bímse buan ar buairt gach ló,
Ag caoi go cruaidh ‘s ag tuar na ndeór
Mar scaoileadh uaim an buachaill beó
‘S ná ríomhtar tuairisc uaidh, mo bhrón.
Curfa
[4]
Ní labhrann cuach go suairc ar nóin
Is níl guth gadhair i gcoillte cnó,
Ná maidin shamhraidh i gcleanntaibh ceoigh
Ó d’imthigh sé uaim an buachaill beó.
* Níl curfa anseo...
[5]
Ghile Mear ‘sa seal faoi chumha,
‘S Eire go léir faoi chlócaibh dubha;
Suan ná séan ní bhfuaireas féin
Ó cuaigh i gcéin mo Ghile Mear.
[Rough Phonetic]
[1 and Chorus]
Shay muh lay moe Gil-ah Mar
Shay moe Hay-suh, Gil-ah Mar,
Soon nawh shayn nee voor-ahs hayn
Oh coo-ig EE-gayne moe Gil-ah Mar.
[2]
Shall dah ross im wy-gem hay-v,
Sa-nEEsh im vahn-trock caw-cha tray,
Moe kayl egg trav-ah nah gun guh train
Deh var nah ng-ic iss im-ee-gayn.
Chorus
[3]
Beem-sha boo-in air boo-urch gawk low,
Egg key guh crew-eh seg toor nah nyoar
Mar squeal-ah oo-im aun boo-cull b-yo
Snah riv-tar toorisk oo-ig, muh v-roan.
Chorus
[4]
Nee lauw-ron cooirk guh sooirk air no-n
Iss neel guh gah-air ee key-olteh kno,
Nah mah-jen how-ree ee glan-tehv keo
Oh dimmy shay whim aun boo-cul byo.
* No Chorus Here...
[5]
Gil-ah Mar sah shall fwee coov(a),
Iss Air guh lair fwee cloak-ev doov(a);
Soon nah shayne nee voor-ahs hayne
Oh coo-ig e gayne muh Gil-ah Mar.
Rough translation of the song...to come.
Rough translation of the song...
1. and Chorus:
He's my champion my Gallant Darling, he's my Caesar, a Gallant Darling,
I've found neither rest nor fortune since my Gallant Darling went far away.
2.
Once i was gentle maiden,
but now I'm a spent, worn-out widow,
my consort strongly plowing the waves,
over the hills and far away.
4.
The cuckoo doesn't sing cheerfully after noon,
And the sound of hounds isn't heard in the nut-tree woods,
Nor a summer morning in a misty glen
Since my my lively boy went away from me.
3.
Every day I'm constantly enduring grief,
weeping nitterly and shedding tears,
because my lively lad has left me
and no news is told of him - alas.
5.
Gallant Darling for a while under sorrow,
And Ireland completely under black cloaks;
I have found neither rest nor fortune
Since my Gallant Darling went far away.
The display of these songs on this site is only meant as a means for the Celtic Arts Center Choir to distribute songs to its members. This is not intended for wider publication or larger distribution.
© 2002 TechnoCelt Productions in association with The Celtic Arts Center / An Claidheamh Soluis. All rights reserved.
Seán Clárach Mac Domhnaill, 1691-1754
Seal da rabhas im' mhaighdean shéimh,
'S anois im' bhaintreach chaite thréith,
Mo chéile ag treabhadh na dtonn go tréan
De bharr na gcnoc is i n-imigcéin.
Curfá:
'Sé mo laoch, mo Ghile Mear,
'Sé mo Chaesar, Ghile Mear,
Suan ná séan ní bhfuaireas féin
Ó chuaigh i gcéin mo Ghile Mear.
Bímse buan ar buaidhirt gach ló,
Ag caoi go cruaidh 's ag tuar na ndeór
Mar scaoileadh uaim an buachaill beó
'S ná ríomhtar tuairisc uaidh, mo bhrón.
Ní labhrann cuach go suairc ar nóin
Is níl guth gadhair i gcoillte cnó,
Ná maidin shamhraidh i gcleanntaibh ceoigh
Ó d'imthigh uaim an buachaill beó.
Marcach uasal uaibhreach óg,
Gas gan gruaim is suairce snódh,
Glac is luaimneach, luath i ngleo
Ag teascadh an tslua 's ag tuargain treon.
Seinntear stair ar chlairsigh cheoil
's líontair táinte cárt ar bord
Le hinntinn ard gan chaim, gan cheó
Chun saoghal is sláinte d' fhagháil dom leómhan.
Ghile mear 'sa seal faoi chumha,
's Eire go léir faoi chlócaibh dubha;
Suan ná séan ní bhfuaireas féin
Ó luaidh i gcéin mo Ghile Mear.
A literal translation by J. Mark Sugars 1997
Once I was a gentle maiden,
But now I am a spent, worn-out widow,
My consort strongly plowing the waves
Over the hills and far away.
Refrain:
He is my hero, my Gallant Darling,
He is my Caesar, a Gallant Darling;
I've found neither rest nor fortune
Since my Gallant Darling went far away.
Every day I am constantly enduring grief,
Weeping nitterly and shedding tears,
Because my lively lad has left me
And no news is told of him- - - alas!
The cuckoo does not sing cheerfully at noon
And the sound of hounds is not heard in nut-tree woods
Nor summer morning in misty glen
Since my lively boy went away from me.
Noble, proud young horseman,
Youth without gloom, of pleasant countenance,
A swift-moving fist, nimble in a fight,
Slaying the enemy and smiting the strong.
Let a strain be played on musical harps,
And let many quarts be filled on the table,
With high spirit, without fault, without gloom,
That my lion may receive long life and health.
Gallant Darling for a while under sorrow,
And Ireland completely under black cloacks,
I have found neither rest nor fortune
Since my Gallant Darling went far away.
Un tempo ero una dolce fanciulla
ora sono una vedova in stracci
il mio sposo valica le onde del mare
e cammina sulle colline dell'esilio
Lui è il mio eroe, il mio affascinante amore,
lui è il mio Cesare, il mio amore,
non ho trovato né pace nè fortuna
da quando il mio amore è partito
Ogni giorno sono sempre depressa
e verso amaramente copiose lacrime
perchè il mio amore pieno di vita se n'è andato
e ahimè nessuna sua notizia ricevo
Il cuculo non canta allegramente a mezzogiorno
e non si sente l'abbaiare dei levrieri nei boschi di nocciolo
non esiste più l'estate nelle valli nebbiose
da quando se n'è andato, il mio amore pieno di vita
Nobile, orgoglioso, giovane cavaliere
guerriero senza tristezza, dal viso piacente
dal pugno pronto, rapido nella lotta
che sconfigge il nemico e colpisce il forte.
Che si intonino arie su arpe armoniose
e che si riempiano molti bicchieri
con animo sollevato senza colpa o tristezza
brindiamo alla vita e alla salute del mio leone
Sfolgorante amore ora attraversiamo un periodo di dolore
e tutta l'Irlanda si ricompre di un manto nero
non trovo pace nè fortuna
da quando il mio amore è partito
In realtà, nelle intenzioni dell'autore si trattava di una canzone allegorica di ambito politico (Giacobita), dove la "vedova in stracci" è l'Irlanda stessa, e il suo "Ghile Mear" ("prode innamorato") è il principe Carlo Stuart, detto familiarmente "Bonnie Charles" ("bel Carlo"). Ma col tempo, persasi la coscienza degli avvenimenti, è diventata un semplice lamento di una donna per il suo innamorato lontano in guerra; e così la accogliamo nella nostra raccolta. Da notare che, nell'Irlanda di lingua gaelica ("Gaeltacht"), viene cantata tradizionalmente nei pubs al momento della chiusura, quando il gestore tenta di...sgomberare il locale dagli avventori. I quali, per ritardare il momento di tornare a casa, e per bersi un ultimo bicchiere, intonano questa canzone dall'andamento triste e melancolico. (Da Canzoni contro la guerra https://www.antiwarsongs.org/canzone.php?lang=it&id=3235 )